SP674-Getting Started with IPM (Integrated Pest Management) in Child-serving Facilities

Many states are beginning to adopt integrated pest management (IPM) practices in schools and other child-serving facilities. UT Extension and the Tennessee Department of Agriculture have been promoting school IPM in Tennessee since 1996. IPM is an approach to pest management that relies on common-sense practices rather than depending exclusively on pesticides. IPM uses information about pests’ life cycles to control them, and reduces risk to people and to the environment.

The primary goal of IPM is finding the cause of pest problems. Understanding what pests need to survive is the key. Pests live in areas that provide basic needs such as food, water and shelter. Pests can often be controlled by removing food and water sources or by closing off entry points into buildings. Pesticides can also be part of an IPM program if they are selected carefully and used cautiously.

Good housekeeping practices, structural repairs and staff training are all part of an IPM program. In many cases, an IPM program can be combined with the pest management plan already in place in a school or similar facility.